Archive for April 29th, 2012

My Sunday started off with an early walk as usual. I had in my mind a nice sunrise photograph of Woodlands Historic Park (my favourite haunt if you haven’t already worked that out) including Woodlands Homestead, so I started off earlier than usual to get there before sunrise. I love it when you get exactly the shot you planned.

Sunrise over Woodlands Homestead

Then I headed into the park proper via the Providence Road entrance for a couple of hour stroll. I quickly found a pair of Scarlet Robins, then hit the dam area where I played the same game as yesterday with the Pied Cormorant (he flies around and around the dam, occasionally “hiding” high in a tree only returning to his perch on the wooden structures in the water when you leave). I had a nice stroll up the Boundary Track fence and back then went back through the dam to get to the car. On the way back I explored an area I hadn’t been in before and found a lot of little birds (Grey Fantails, Superb Fairy-Wrens, Yellow-rumped Thornbills) including a charming little Spotted Pardalote. I chased him around for a while because I’ve been trying to get a decent shot of one of these for a while. He was too quick for me and I’d given up with only a couple of very “C grade” shots, when on the way out he just presented himself within a metre or so of the track. This is one of two good shots I’ve put on Flickr – one of the prettiest little birds I’ve photographed in my opinion.

Spotted Pardalote

Early morning is definitely the best part of the day I reckon. What do you think?

After the walk, the next job was going into the city with Chris, then it was some pruning of three trees in the front yard, then time for lunch. After lunch Adrienne and I took Jackie for another leisurely stroll around Woodlands, essentially the same area I’d walked earlier. Another blissful walk, just letting Jackie smell, and widdle on, every single blade of grass (it seems). Not as much birdlife around as in the morning, but I was very excited to count not two, but three Tawny Frogmouths in “their tree” as we left. So, maybe the pair we thought we had is actually a pair and a young one? The one in the picture below was in this “stretched out pose” for the whole duration of our walk. I wonder if the pose is to try and make himself the same shape as the adjacent branch? Also, given how well they camouflage themselves, I’m guessing there’s always been three, but we just haven’t been good enough to spot them all at once.

Tawny Frogmouth “stretched out”

Just one more picture for today, of my little darling dog, just because I haven’t posted one of her for a while. Here she is enjoying her favourite treat, a “chicken jerky”.

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